Grain elevator apparatus



HENRY PETER DoNsBAcH, JR., 2,778,509 (KNOWN As, HARRY J. DoNsBAcH) GRAIN ELEVATOR APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1957 Filed March ll, 1954 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 22, 1957 HENRY PETER DoNsEAcH, JR, 2,778,509

(KNOWN As, HARRY J. DoNsBAcH) GRAIN ELEvAToR APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1l, 1954 Jan. 22, 1957 HENRY PETER DoNsBAcH, JR., 2,778,509

(KNOWN As, HARRY J. DoNsBAcl-l) GRAIN ELEvAToR APPARATUS A TTOR/VE'KS United States Patent O GRAIN ELEVATOR APPARATUS Henry Peter Donsbach, Jr., (known as Harry J.v Donsbach), Butalo, N. Y.

This invention relates to grain handling equipment and more particularly to apparatus for forming and conveying a grain mixture such as may be formed of grain and a very small percentage of a desired additive, the apparatus of the invention being particularly adapted for use in a grain elevator incidental to preparing grain for shipment therefrom.

In order to meet the requirements of a customer it is frequently desirable or necessary that the grain shipped from an elevator include a very small Iamount of a second material, frequently less than 1%. This second material may be a different grain or grain of a different grade or any material which may be needed to meet the required price, quality and/or mixture characteristics as ordered by the customer.

In order for a grain elevator to operate profitably it is necessary that large amounts of grain be handled with a minimum of labor and equipment. It is convenient to store additives as well as the grain in the conventional elevator bins. However, these elevator bins are designed for discharge onto a conveyor at a large rate, such as for example in the order of 18,000 bushels per hour and are not suitable for discharging small rates of flow, and further operation of two or more bins of the usual installation would require an equal number of men for simultaneous opening of the gates.

The present invention provides an arrangement for mixing a small amount of material from any of a series of elevator bins with a large amount of grain from any other bin of the series with a minimum of equipment and labor. Accordingly one object of the invention is to provide an improved grain handling system for use in a grain elevator.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for mixing a small amount of an additive to grain in the handling of the latter without adding a handling step beyond that which is usual in elevator operation.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide an eliicient grain mixing apparatus and arrangement as aforesaid in which the labor requirement is substantially unincreased over that required in customary elevator operating procedures where no mixing is undertaken.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for Iaccurately controlling and determining the proportions of the grain mixture as aforesaid according to predetermined requirements.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved metering and dispensing device for use in thev system of the invention which is adapted for maximum lexibility and convenience in use in a grain elevator of conventional construction.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic showing of a grain elevator embodying grain mixture component selecting and proportioning means of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly sectioned view of the additive metering and dispensing device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken about on line III--III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the dispensing rate control means of the device of Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional elevator arrangement which has been modified in accordance with the invention and includes a series of elevator bins 10, 12, 14 and 16 which are arranged side by side with their customary manually operable discharge gates 18, 20, 22 and 24 arranged in alignment over an endless belt conveyor 26. In a conventional grain elevator arrangement there may be thirty or more such bins in one series. The belt conveyor discharges into a vertical lift or elevator conveyor 28 for delivery of grain from any one of the bins to an outlet chute 30 which may be connected to an oiiicial weighing device or a car-loading chute or the like as desired.

In accordance with the invention the conventional equipment described hereinabove is modified by provision of a calibrated ammeter 32 in the power lines 34 of the elevator conveyor motor 36, the ammeter 32 being calibrated to show the amount of grain being conveyed by the elevator conveyor as reected in the load on the motor 36. In addition to the main manually controllable gates, each bin is provided with an auxiliary gate 38, each of which is provided with a simple closure such as a slide gate member 40 which need have only an open and closed position, the volume to be dispensed therethrough being accurately metered by an auxiliary conveyor device 42.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the metered dispensing device 42 of the invention is mounted on a generally rectangular mobile frame 44 having a pair of rear legs 46, 48 and a single oli'set front leg 50, the legs being provided with a caster 52 to facilitate movement of the device along the elevator building floor 54. The frame includes a pair of horizontal rails 56 which support a screw conveyor housing 58 formed by cornplementing trough and cover members 60, 62 and end closure members 64, v66 which conformably enclose a conveyor screw element 68, the end members 64, 66 serving valso as bearing blocks which operatively journal the screw element. A top plate 70 is provided vwhich adds rigidity to the structure and presents an easily cleaned surface for preventing accumulation of grain dust on the housing. As shown, the conveyor housing is formed with a top inlet 72 at one end and a bottom outlet 74 at the other end, and an inlet funnel 76 is hingedly mounted at 78 on the conveyor frame to function as a self-feeding y inlet hopper yfor the conveyor, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

It will be seen that, assuming that the hopper 76 is filled, the preferred screw conveyor provides an accurately regulated volume delivery rate which is dependent only on the speed of rotation of the conveyor screw. Thus the flow from the hopper will completely lill the housing between adjacent turns of the conveyor screw, and each turn of the latter will deliver an exactly measured volume of the dispensed material to the outlet. Means are provided to drive the conveyor screw, and so to-regulate the dispensing conveyor delivery, at a preselectable and accurately controlled rate. To this and, the illustrated conveyorl screw drive comprises an A. C. motor 80 of substantially constant speed characteristic which is connected as by a V belt 82 to a variable ratiol transmission 84 of conventional type. The preferred transmission 84 is of the planetary V-belt type having a continuously variable orstepless R. P. M. rat-ior betweenits input and output sheaves 86, 88 pre-selectable by a control lever/90. "The preferred control lever is provided with ahinged connection 92 enabling manual engagement and disengagement of a wedge device 94 on the lever with a cooperating flange 96 on the transmission housing for locking the lever in any selected position. This transmission rnay be ,of the 'typeproduced commercially by SpeedSelector, Inc. of'Cleveland, Ohio, andthe internal details of suitable speed selector devices are shown in the bulletins of that company.

Accordingly the internal structure is not illustrated, but it will be understood that this structure may be ,of the kind in which the .input sheave 86 is directly connectcd to a rotatable suitablybalanced spider which Carries a drivingly interconnected pair of planetary sheaves ganged for `opposite effective diameter variation and in which'the output shaft '99 carries one of a corresponding pair of oppositelyganged variable effective diameter .central sheaves, the other central sheave of this pair being fixed to the transmission housing and being `variable. lin effective diameter by operation of the manual control lever '90. While any variable-speed control devicemay be used, `the type referred to is preferred because it provides a stepless speed control over a wide range extending down to zero output. The output sheave 88 of the variable transmission 84 is connected by a belt 9.8 to a suitable reduction gear device 106 which may be, vfor example, of the torque arm type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,556,259. The output of the reduction geardevice 100 is suitably connected to the shaft of the conveyor screw 68 for operation of the latter at the speed selected by the control lever 9i?.

vit will be seen that the variable rate dispensing device may beeasily rolled on its casters 52 to an operativeposition adjacent any of the bins '10, 12, '14 and 16 -of the series, such as the bin 12 shown. It is important that the flow from the side gate 38 to the hopper 76 be selfregulating and to this end the sides of the hopper extend above the lower edges of the chute portion of the side gate 38 when in the operative position shown in full line in Fig. 3. However the hopper walls are dared so that when the hopper is manually tipped on its hinge connection 78, as shown in phantom line, it will readily clear the gate structure. With the dispenser in position with its'hopper 76 under the bin auxiliary gate 38 as shown,.the dispenser-,conveyor extends over the conveyor belt 26 for discharge thereon, the oiset front leg 50 and an angular rame brace Titi?, giving vadequate support to the 'screw conveyor housing without interefernce -with the belt coriveyor. Preferablythe front leg 50 has a transverse lower extension 1423 to give the frame four-point support, so that in eiect the frame has a cut out portion above `that extension which embracingly Vclears the belt conveyor structure. To reach well over the belt conveyor 26, -the screw conveyor housing 58 preferably extends beyond the front leg and adequate support for this vextension is provided by the horizontal frame members 56 together with the top cover plate 70 and frame braces 104.

Referring now to Fig. 4, vthe speed selector transmission control lever-9o is provided with apointer 106 which cooperates with a calibrated scale 168 on the transmission housing. The scale 108 is suitably calibrated in bushels per hour output of the dispenser as well as the percentages represented-thereby relative to the usual delivery lrate of the belt conveyor. For example, in a grain elevator where the normal total capacity of the belt conveyor is 18,000 bushels per hour, the setting ofthe dispenser control 90 which will give 18 bushels perhour will 'be marked 1/10%, ythat which will give 90 bushels per hour is marked `1/2%, that which will give -180 bushels per hour will be marked 1%, and soon over a range 'from zero torone ora few percent, as required. Where the basic grain and the additive are of different weights :per unit volume, the Ascale may be -corrected for direct-readingin weight -percenta ges if ,desired.

adjusted, the dispensing conveyor of the invention requires no attendant. 'The auxiliary gate member 40 on the bin may be in its fully open position, and the ow will be self-regulated by the vertically overlapping gate chute 38 and hopper 76 walls at a rate lxed by the locked position of the control lever 90.

Thus, flow of additive at the .predetermined rate may be initiated and terminated by simply starting and stopping the dispenser -motor `80. Means are provided to cnablethe operator to so start and stop this motor from the remote position `o'f'the main .gate of the bin from which the basic grain ingredient of the desired mixture is derived. .T o :this .tend electrical .controls are provided comprising, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. l, an out- 1ct receptacle 114B at or near each bin at which the portable dispenser may be used, these receptacles receiving the plug 112 of the dispenser motor power cable 114. The several receptaclesare connected inparallel by conductors 116,11tt which are connected to any suitable power source lines 120, '122 through normally open contactors 124, 126 of an Yelectromagnetic relay 128. vThe energizing circuit `for the coil i139 of the relay includes a normally open start push button 132, .conveniently located at each bin,'these"start push buttons being connected in parallel by conductors 134, ,136 to complete a circuit by conductors 138 from one power vline 122. though any .start'button 132 which is 'depressed and through conductors 140, 142 and therelay coil 130 to the otherline 120. A relay maintaining circuit is provided across the relay'coil through an additional vnormally open contact 144 of the relay andby wire 146 through series connected normally closed stop push buttons adjacent and corresponding to the several start push buttons. Therefore. wheneverany start push button is depressed, the relay `128 will close andthe dispensing conveyor will commence to dispense material at a predetermined rate from any remote bin .at which it may be located, and this dispensing operation will be continued until one of the stop push buttons .is depressed. Since Fig. l shows the invention'in use, the relay is shown in energized position. 'Thus a single operator'may open the manual main gate of a selected bin 16 and at the same time commence the additive dispensing operation at a remote bin 12. Thus a heavy layer $152 of the basic grain will be deposited on the moving belt, `together with a thin under or over1ayer;154,.as the case may be, of the desired additive. 'These two 'layers .will be thoroughly mixed during subsequent transit .through `the lift conveyor 28 and its discharge chute'30.

A skilled operatorwill be able to judge the ow from the main .bin gate 24 quite accurately and adjust that ,gate accordingly, vbut infany event an accurate check on the totalow of the mixtureis provided by the elevator conveyor load ammeter '32, so that the composition .of the mixture may'be ,accurately regulated in accordance with the customers specifications.

Thus itwill'be seen that'the invention provides means for mixing a smallamount of a desired additive with a large amount -of grain in closely Vregulated proportions with a'minimum of equipment and labor by utilizing the existing conventional elevator equipment in combination with'the mobile remote controlled dispensing device of the invention in an operation which requires very 'little increase in equipment or labor over that which would vbe needed for the usual handling `of unmixed grain. The mobile dispensing device of theinvention is readily moved to any'binas required, lthe hopper land offsetleg construction being suchlas to enable rapid 'placement of the device in operative position. The screw typefconveyorelement in vcombination with 'the A. C. 'motor and the Vfine `speed control 'insures an accurate delivery ofthe Vcritical in gredient of the grain mixture, and this reliability and accuracyof delivery::cooperateswith .the remote Astart and stop-controls to enable'o neloperator'to control the flow Thus it will be seen that,fonce in `place and properly 75 of both the main and1additive ingredientsin forming the desred mixture. Thus, when the operator presses the start button at his working station adjacent the selected main gate, he is assured that exact rate of flow of additive which has been preselected will be dispensed onto the belt conveyor, even though he may be unable to see the dispenser or the rernote bin at which it is located or the ow therefrom.

It will be noted that the auxiliary gates 38 of the i1- lustrated arrangement are located above the lowermost portion of the respective bins, that is, above the main gates and the bin bottom portions immediately adjacent thereto. In the bulk transportation of material prior to its storage in the elevator bins, certain metal particles such as bolts, nuts, nails and the like are frequently accidently introduced into the material. These particles would tend to cause wear and possibly damage to the screw conveyor if fed therethrough. However, such heavy particles will tend to settle to the bottom of the bin below the auxiliary gate and accordingly the majority of them will not pass through the connected screw conveyor.

If desired, the screw conveyor 68 can be provided with a revolution meter or counter (not shown) for use in combination with the combined ow measuring device 32 in determining and/or verifying the exact composition of the combined flow. Thus, while only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent that the invention is not so limited, but may be otherwise embodied within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a grain elevator, a belt conveyor adapted for conducting grain from storage in the grain elevator, a storage bin having an outlet gate including discharge chute means at one side of the conveyor, and a mobile variable rate dispensing device, said dispensing device comprising a generally rectangular frame having two rear legs and a single offset front leg, each of said legs being provided with a caster for movement of the device along the elevator building floor, a screw conveyor supported by said frame and having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being arranged forwardly beyond said front leg for discharge onto said belt conveyor when the device is placed in an operative position with said front leg adjacent to said belt conveyor, an inlet hopper hingedly mounted on said dispensing device and arranged to receive ow from said chute means when said dispensing device is in said position and to deliver ow to said inlet, said hopper having side walls extending in vertically overlapping relation with the side walls of said chute means when said device is positioned in operative relation thereto and being arranged to be tipped on its hinge mount for being shifted with said device into and out of said operative relation, and drive means for said screw conveyor comprising an electric motor of substantially constant speed characteristic and a stepless variable ratio transmission connected in the line of drive, said transmission being manually settable over a range of speed outputs extending down to zero and being manually lockable in a setting so selected.

2. In a grain elevator, a belt conveyor adapted for conducting grain from storage in the grain elevator, a storage bin having an outlet gate including discharge chute means at one side of the conveyor, and a mobile variable rate dispensing device, said dispensing device comprising a generally rectangular frame adapted for movement along the elevator building floor, a screw conveyor supported by said frame and having an inlet and an outlet, said frame being shaped at one side of its forward portion to embracingly clear the adjacent side of said belt conveyor to locate said screw conveyor outlet for discharge onto said belt conveyor when the device is placed in an operative position adjacent to said belt conveyor, an inlet hopper mounted on said dispensing device and arranged to receive flow from said chute means when said dispensing device is in said position and to deliver ilow to said inlet, said hopper having side walls extending iny vertically overlapping relation with the side walls of said chute means when said device is positioned in operative relation thereto, and drive means for said screw conveyor comprising an electric motor of substantially constant speed characteristic and a calibrated stepless variable ratio transmission connected in the line of drive, said transmission being manually presettable over a range of speed outputs, and remote start-stop control means for said electric motor.

3. In a grain elevator, a main conveyor adapted for conducting grain from storage in the grain elevator, a storage bin having an outlet gate including discharge chute means, and a mobile variable rate dispensing device, comprising a screw conveyor having inlet means and an outlet, said outlet being arranged for discharge to said main conveyor when the device is placed in an operative position adjacent to said main conveyor, said inlet means being adapted for self-feeding connection to said chute means to receive iiow therefrom when in said operative position, and variable speed drive means for said screw conveyor comprising calibrated manually presettable speed control means, and remote start-stop control means for said drive means.

4. In a grain handling apparatus, a plurality of bins including at least one storage bin having a manually operable high discharge rate gate and at least one additional bin having an outlet, conveyor means adapted to receive the discharge from said gate, a variable low ow discharge rate dispensing device comprising manually presettable ow rate control means, said dispensing device having an inlet adapted for self-feeding connection to said additional bin outlet and an outlet adapted for discharge to said conveyor means for concurrent delivery of the discharge of the two bins by said conveyor means, and remote control means for said dispensing device comprising a start-stop control adjacent said storage bin.

5. In a grain elevator, a main conveyor adapted for conducting grain from storage in the grain elevator, a storage bin having an outlet gate including discharge chute means, and a mobile variable rate dispensing device, comprising a screw conveyor having inlet means and an outlet, said outlet being arranged for discharge to said main conveyor when the device is placed in an operative position adjacent to said main conveyor, said inlet means being adapted for self-feeding connection to said chute means to receive ow therefrom when in said operative position, and variable speed drive means for said screw conveyor comprising calibrated manually operable speed control means adapted to closely regulate the speed and thus the discharge rate of said screw conveyor.

6. In a grain handling apparatus, a plurality of storage bins including a plurality each having a manually operable variable opening gate and a plurality each having an outlet, an endless belt conveyor with said main gates arranged for individual discharge thereto, a mobile variable rate dispensing device, said dispensing device comprising a screw conveyor having an inlet adapted for selffeeding connection to any of said bin outlets and an outlet adapted for discharge onto said belt conveyor and a variable rate drive for the screw conveyor, said drive compris- -ing an electric motor having a substantially constant speed characteristic and a continuously variable speed ratio transmission, said transmission having a calibrated manually operable and lockable speed ratio control, and a power supply for the screw conveyor motor comprising an outlet receptacle adjacent each of said bin outlets and start-stop controls arranged adjacent each of said bin gates, said power supply including circuit means operable by any of said start-stop controls to energize and deenergize each of said outlet receptacles.

7. In a grain handling apparatus, a plurality of storage bins each having a manually operable variable opening main gate `and an auxiliary gate, an endless belt conveyor withrsaidxmainsgates arrangedtinalignmentrthereoverffor individual Kdischarge th'ereon, *.-a .mobile variable ratel dis pensirrg .zdevice, v1saidfdispensing device ycomprisingfa(screw conveyor havirrgfan inlet adapted ffor self+feeding :connection tto iany .of lsaid auxiliary Agates and ian :out-let adaptedfor :discharge onto'said beltconveyor. andra variable rate;drive :forthe screw conveyor, said.drive-compris ing lanzelectrim motorhavingyaxsnbstantially rconstantrspeed characteristic .and a ncontinuously variable .-'speed ratio transmission, said transmission having a 'manually :pre settable control calibrated :in .terms .ofI dispensing device deliveryrates, and a ;power:supply forthe..1screwsconveyor motoricomprisingrran outletlreceptacle and start-:stop gcontrols .arranged adjacent reach `of said tbins, said :power supply including-circuit means ioperable :by :any: of saidstartstop controls to energizeand:deenergizeeachfofrsaidsontlet-rceepnaclesa-andfcwnzatemeasuring;meansasensitiveio the-.total-material owzdeliveredtosaid beltrconveyonfrom b oth said amain i gates .and saidA dispensing device.

`A8.11m a igrainhandling apparatus, .a-pluralityof :bins including` atleastone. storage .bin having alhigh discharge rate 1gate fandatleast one additional binlhavingvan-goutlet,I conveyor m'eansadaptedftofreceive the discharge'from said :gate, :a variable lowiow :dischargesratedispensing device comprising adjustable ow rate .control means, said dispensingdevicefhaving an inlet adapted for selffeeding` connection :to said additional bin `outlet and kan ontletiadapted lfor :discharge .to fsaid conveyor means ifor concurrent delivery of the discharge of the two :bins by said;conveyor means.

9. "Apparatus intaccordance with claimfS, wherein said dispensing .device .comprises al screw conveyor having a generally `horizontal laxis and ,communicating between said inletzandlsaid,outletzofsaiddispensing device, said inlet isarranged to conductigenerally vertical gravityflow fromisaid additional bin outlet, and said .ow rate control means comprises variablespeed'drive means for said screw conveyor.

Referenees,(3ited in the le .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

